Question

1. In a short paragraph, describe Puritan life in Massachusetts in 1692. In your description please include one or two fundamental Puritan beliefs and how these beliefs affected the goals of the Puritan community.


2. In a paragraph, either defend or condemn the actions of the Salem colony. Were they justified in the way they handled the mass hysteria that afflicted their community? Is there any other way that the colony could have handled the situation given their religious beliefs? Please cite specific evidence from the lesson to support your stance.



3. Why did Arthur Miller choose the Salem Witch trials as a comparison for the McCarthy Era? What do you think Miller hoped to accomplish with this comparison?

Answer 1

1. The Puritan religious faith originated in England during the early 1600s. The Puritans believed that the Anglican Church, the state's religious institution of England, needed to be purified of the influence of the Catholic religious faith. 
2. I think they accused to many people without any further evidence and that injustice is far more than a sin, but a mas execution of innocent people which is not good.